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Monday, December 13, 2010

Southpark Turkey Trot 8k Race Recap

I apologize in advance for the delay in my lack of posts as I've been extra busy with coaching middle school wrestling (I am a wrestling fanatic!)

So the week of the Turkey Trot e-mails started circulating from some of my running buddies trying to soften me up by saying really nice thinks about me...Ha!

We (Bill Shires, Michael Heafner, Billy Shue and myself) decided to meet at the starting line the morning of the race for a 2 to 3 mile warm up. Everyone seemed to be feel reasonably well and we managed to pick up the eventual winner, Bert Rodriguez, as he warmed up with us as well.

After watching my son take 3rd overall in the mile, it was time for the 8kers to line up!

All of the usual suspects were out along with some out of towners in to take part in some bread breaking later in the day. (then of course you get Dallas and Detroit). I didn't realize now that there is actually a 3rd game that day?

So anyway, the gun goes off and I shoot out on a mission! Now you have to understand, I have been racing Bill Shires on and off for the last 16 years (we are the same age) yet we had not raced at all in 2010. Usually, we are separated by 10 seconds and he usually comes out on top. I knew he was coming off of a 2:40/41 double so I knew what shape he was in. I also know how competitive he is so I knew I had my hands full.

Within a half mile, I was running with Michael Heafner and we were cruising. After the mile mark, Bill gets right behind me and he seemed content to draft off of me and I enjoyed dictating tempo in the early stages of the race. It wasn't until the 3 of us were on Sharon just past the 3 mile mark that Mike does his best Marvin Lee Aday impression "like a Bat out of Hell!" and puts 10 meters on the 2 of us! I was having no part of that so I just hung out. Bill saw that I didn't react so he tried to bridge the gap which he eventually did by the 4 mile mark. I was still back a ways...

When I made the right onto Colony, I started to feel good and I decided to go after Bill. I had a little less than a mile to catch him. Mark Hadley was cheering me on along with a whole host of very nice people. I was gaining on him. When I made the left onto Morrison, I still had a half mile of uphill running to try and catch Bill. I thought about all of the residual junk that clearly must have been in his legs (from his 2 superb marathons) and that there was no way that he could hold me off!

I'm working and driving and gaining on him as we're getting closer to the finish and just as I was about to pounce...Paul Mainwaring decides to give me a shout of encouragement which was great except for the fact that it jump-started Bill to take the shot of adrenaline/dopamine/testosterone/cortisol and bury me buy a second! It was epic! Loved every minute of it...

Gotta give a big shout out to the following: Danny White of RMS for the support, Scotty D for putting on such a wonderful event, Tim Rhodes, CRC, and Bill Shires for always bringing out the best in me...Thanks!

Question: What 3 songs are referenced in Kenny Chesney's song "I go back"?